Economic Development Commission
Background Links * Authorities Insights Ravenstahl meets with economic development panel in January 2008 :By Jeremy Boren, TRIBUNE-REVIEW, January 9, 2008 Urban Redevelopment Authority Director Patrick Ford said Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's 30-member Economic Development Panel will be more than "window dressing." At the panel's first meeting Tuesday since being announced in March, Ford said the group of experts will have free range to offer ideas and criticisms about how to grow businesses here and attract new ones through incentives such as small- and minority-owned business loan programs. "Let me assure everybody here that this is not window dressing," Ford told 23 members of the panel who gathered in the headquarters of American Eagle Outfitters in the South Side Works. "People were very reluctant to be critical of city government and, quite frankly, the administration for fear of retribution," Ford said. "That might have been the way business was done historically. That's not the way this mayor does business." Ravenstahl said he wants to make Pittsburgh more "business friendly" and wants to capitalize on improvements already made to streamline the city's building-permit process. Ford said building, occupancy and site-plan approvals that once took some new businesses more than a year to get now take two to three weeks. The next step is Web-based building permitting, Ford said. "It's my hope to hear back from those of you in the trenches on a daily basis," Ravenstahl said to executives from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, U.S. Steel Corp., Eat'n Park restaurants and Soffer Organization, owner of the South Side Works. Ford asked the group what it hopes to gain, and give to the city. "What we're interested in mostly is issues dealing with attracting talent to the region," said Brian D. Kennedy, vice president of government relations for the Pittsburgh Technology Council. Amy Enrico, owner of Tazza D'Oro in Highland Park, said she can offer thoughts on providing technical assistance to fledgling small businesses, which she does through East Liberty Development Corp. One goal Enrico would like to explore is "bringing new businesses to the East Liberty corridor." Ravenstahl's Economic Development Panel: • Bill Bates, senior vice president of real estate, Eat N Park Hospitality, Inc. • Robert Blackmore, senior vice president corporate advisory services, CB Richard Ellis • Scott L. Brown, vice president and community investment manager, Citizens Bank • Cecilia Cagni, senior marketing director, Allegheny Conference on Community Development • Yvonne Campos, president and owner, Campos Market Research, Inc. • Yves Carreau, owner, Sonoma Grill and Seviche • Eric Cartwright, vice president of construction and corporate real estate, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center • Tom DiDonato, executive vice president of human resources, American Eagle Outfitters • Joan Ellenbogan, managing partner, Crawford Ellenbogen • Amy Enrico, owner, Tazza D'Oro • Shawn T. Flaherty, founding partner, Flaherty Fardo • Christine Fulton, vice president external relations and real estate, Soffer Organization • William O. Generett, executive director, Pittsburgh Central Keystone Innovation Zone • Charles Hammel III, president and CEO, Pitt Ohio Express • Brian D. Kennedy, vice president of government relations, Pittsburgh Technology Council • Kris Kirk, president, Mentors Consulting and Training • Christopher J. Masciantonio, general manager-state government affairs, U.S. Steel Corp. • Andrew W. Moore, director of Pittsburgh Engineering Office of Google, Inc. • Karla Owens, Mainstreets manager, Bloomfield Business Association • Karen Peter, vice president and general manager, Saks Fifth Avenue • William Pietragallo II, founding partner, Pietragallo Bosick & Gordon • Todd Reidbord, president, Walnut Capital Management • Gary J. Saulson, director of corporate real estate, PNC Financial Services Group • James D. Scalo, president, Burns and Scalo Real Estate Services • Stephen A. Schillo, vice president for management and business, Duquesne University • Paul A. Supowitz, vice chancellor for governmental relations, University of Pittsburgh • Chloe Valasquez, president and founder, Sabio Springs Inc. • Raul Valdez-Perez, CEO and founder, Vivisimo Inc. • Jamie Wallace, owner, Abay Ethiopian Restaurant • Stacy Weiss, CEO, Weisshouse category:organizations